


In the land of gods and monsters.

by Gay5sos



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: 5SOS - Freeform, Lashton - Freeform, M/M, Slow Build, ghost au, idk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-27
Updated: 2014-06-27
Packaged: 2018-02-06 11:07:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1855807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gay5sos/pseuds/Gay5sos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ashton meets a mysterious boy in a mysterious house, and for some reason, keeps going back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the land of gods and monsters.

It was a rainy wednesday when Ashton found the old house. He was taking a walk to get away from the world when it started lashing, so he ran to find the nearest shelter.  
This took the form of a rotting, unsightly manor house.  
In a twisted way it was beautiful, with ivy leaves covering nearly the entire front, (or what was left of it) and bushes with different colourful wild flowers growing so widely that they reached into the bottom windows.

His hair and clothes were already soaking wet when he ducked his head and entered through the decomposing doorframe.  
The main hall was quite a sight. Most of the walls had long crumbled, so all of the rooms were sort of meshed together. Plaster was lightly sprinkled around like icing sugar, and there were old, faded portraits of various people.  
A gut feeling told him to be very, very cautious.  
It was a pretty shitty shelter, actually, because the roof was probably on its last legs, due to the rainwater that was seeping through it in many places.  
He stayed there for about ten minutes, and then the rain let up enough, so that it was safe to go outside without being pelted in the face by harsh droplets.  
He left for home, but something left him very intrigued about the old house.

Ashton thought about it all day that Thursday, and when school ended he decided to make a detour to the abandoned shack.  
He was surprised that no one had smothered it in graffiti, or used it as a drug den, and when he got there, it was even more beautiful with the sun shining through the shards of window glass that were left.  
He explored a bit more this time, entering the back of the house (which would have been separated by walls) that he guessed was the kitchen.  
There was a lounge, but there was nowhere to sit. Well, there was nowhere that was safe to sit without the risk of infection or fatal disease.

On the third day, he went back, this time with a blanket and his sketch pad.  
He tiptoed into the lounge and spread the blanket out, setting his backpack down on top of it. He sat cross-legged and began to draw his surroundings.  
The lounge was the most preserved in the house, as it was in the middle, or so he guessed. He hadn't been upstairs yet, and he didn't care to, because the creaky old stairs didn't look like they were strong enough to support his weight.

It continued like this for weeks. Every day he would stop by the house after school and draw different rooms and objects, until his sketchpad was full. On weekends he visited earlier, because that was when the sun shone the brightest, and it looked glorious.  
People were starting to get worried about him. He didn't have many friends anyway, one or two that didn't include him in anything, so it wasn't as though he was losing much by spending most of his time at the old house.  
One day, his mother refused to let him leave the dinner table until he told her where he was going all of the time. When he did tell her, Ann Marie told him to stop going because it was dangerous.  
And that's when he started going in secret.  
He couldn't stop, he was drawn to the house.

It was a brisk Sunday morning, as Ashton sat on his drawing blanket, sketching the way the old thorny vines breached the empty window panes in the sitting room.  
He was concentrating deeply on his drawing, shading in bits and pieces, and correcting any mistakes he had made prior.  
When he looked up to check the details of the scene, there was a boy, leaning at the doorframe, staring intently at him, with a fond smile on his face.

Ashton, of course, could of sworn that his soul literally left his body for a second, he got such a fright.  
The boy, who was tall and blonde, upon noticing that Ashton had spotted him, widened his eyes and immediately dodged behind the standing wall, disappearing from Ashton's sight.  
He hopped up, setting his pencil and paper down and rushed after him.

"Wait!" he called, searching frantically for the boy, "I don't mind that you're here, it's not my property or anything!"

The boy was nowhere to be seen on that floor, and he glanced towards the stairs.  
Was he that desperate to find the mysterious boy again?  
The answer was yes.  
As soon as he put weight on the first step though, he heard a voice behind him.

"Don't go up there." the boy commanded in a deep voice, and Ashton spun around to face him.

Well, face his chin. The boy was slightly taller than him.

"Why? What's up there?" he quirked an eyebrow. He put his foot on the second step, and it creaked a little.

"No, I mean, it's dangerous. You'll fall through."

Ashton sighed and landed back down on the floor.

"Why were you watching me?"

"I didn't mean for you to see me."

"Well, you were standing right in front of me. So, that's kind of stupid."

The boy's eyebrows furrowed a little.

"You're kind of rude." he stated.

Ashton's eyebrows shot up.

"I am not. You just caught me by surprise, is all. I actually hear I'm a delight to be around." he cracked a smile, but the boy stared down at his sneakered feet, a little awkwardly.

"I'm Luke"

"Well, Luke, I'm here quite a lot, so maybe I'll see you around."

And with that, he went to the living room to collect his things and leave.

 

Of course Ashton had to go back the next day, telling his mum that he was going to his friend Calum's after school. It wasn't just for the house this time, though.  
He was really hoping to see the mysterious boy again.

When he arrived, he took out his drawing things, as usual, and spread his blanket out on the hall floor. The house was empty, and so he drew the woodwork of the empty front door frame while he waited for Luke to arrive.  
About 20 minutes later, he heard a voice behind him.

"Are you really drawing a doorframe?"

Ashton jumped and twisted around to see Luke, with his arms crossed and a broad smirk gracing his face.  
He was wearing the same clothes as before. (Baggy blue jeans and a Nirvana shirt that was way too big for him.)

"It's a nice doorframe." Ashton protested. "Which way did you come in?"

 

"Around the back." Luke said. "Can I see your sketchpad?"

Ashton reluctantly handed it to him, and let Luke flick through the pages. He had already filled up three books.

"These are so good!" the boy said in awe. "Do you think you could.." he trailed off, a blush rising in his cheeks.

"What?" Ashton hated when people did that.

"It's nothing, never mind." Luke said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Luke you tell me right now." Ashton commanded. He really hated when people do that.

The boy sighed.

"Do you think you could maybe...draw me?"

Ashton blinked at him.

"See, I told you it didn't matter." Luke groaned.

"No, it's fine. I'd like to actually, I haven't drawn a real person in ages and I need to practise."

It was lovely seeing a large smile spread across the blonde boys face for the first time.

"You should smile more often. It suits you." he said, causing him to blush.

"Okay." was all he said, and Ashton directed him towards the living room, where he sat him down to draw him.  
It took all around thirty minutes to finish, and he ripped out the refill page, handing it to Luke, who's eyes nearly bulged out of head.

"This is amazing! You're so talented Ashton." he said, voice going soft.

Ashton's insides were feeling a little soft, because the sun was shining through the window and shining onto Luke's face, making his blue eyes sparkle in the most breathtaking way.

"You can keep it, if you want." he found himself saying, although he really wanted to take it home to remember the vision he looked.

Luke's mouth dropped open a little and his eyes softened.

"I'd love that. Thank you."

That night, when Ashton was lying in bed, the only thoughts that filled his mind were ones of the beautiful, mysterious boy whom he had made smile that day.

 

A few days passed, and Ashton had met Luke in the old house on every single one. He had asked Luke to come over for dinner, but the boy insisted that his parents would never let him. He hated answering questions about himself, Ashton had figured that out after a day or two.

On a Tuesday, Ashton tried to bring up a rather bothering question.

"Why do you always wear the same clothes? That's a bit unhygienic."

"You're unhygienic."

Ashton let it go, but the fact that he knew nothing about Luke was pissing him off. He didn't know his last name, where he lived, where he went to school, anything about his family or his home life.

He was, however, fascinated in every details of Ashton's life. One day, as the rain lashed down outside (and inside), and they were lounging together on top of Ashton's blanket, Luke said

"Tell me everything about yourself that you wouldn't want someone to know."

And he listened to him ramble for minutes about how he has to use a dimmer switch because the complete dark freaks him out, and how he doesn't really see the big deal about Beyoncé, and how his mother taught him to shave because his father wasn't around.

And when Ashton finished talking, and they were just left staring into each other's eyes for what seemed like hours, Luke lurched forward and pressed his lips to his.  
Ashton didn't pull back, only sank deeper into the kiss, because this was what he wanted; it's what he had wanted all along without knowing.

They kissed for a while, and then Ashton pulled back, because it was overwhelming and the rain sounded pretty.

Ashton knew he should have been paying attention in class the next day, but his mind was always elsewhere, wondering what the mystery behind Luke was, or how he had been so rough with the kiss but gentle at the same time; his lips were so soft.  
And that's how he ended up in detention.  
When he arrived home late, his mother was furious and banned him from leaving the house.  
The thought of Luke waiting for him to arrive gnawed at his mind for the entire night and he had a hard time trying to sleep.

 

It was a chilly morning when Ashton went back the next day.  
He entered the house, and was greeted immediately by a sobbing Luke.

"Why didn't you come?" he was wailing, and Ashton had to grab hold of the boy's shoulders, to prevent him from repeatedly throwing punches at his chest.

"Woah, woah, I'm sorry, I wasn't allowed out." he protested, and it made his heart ache seeing the boy this way.

He had no idea that Luke was that dependant on him.  
The taller boy buried his face into the crook of Ashton's neck, whimpered softly.

"I thought you were leaving me." he sniffed. "I was so lonely."

There was something so wrong about him. There must be something terrible going on at home, that he was never there. And was Ashton his only friend?  
Maybe that was the reason he was so clingy.  
Ashton grabbed hold of his cheeks with both hands, and pressed a long kiss to the boys lips.

"I'm not going to leave you, okay?" he murmured.

Luke let out a small gasp, and then whispered

"I love you."

This took Ashton by surprise, but the words sent shivers all through his body and made his heart beat twice as fast.

"I think I love you too." he answered, and he knew that it was true.

 

It continued like this for weeks. Ashton was so sure that Luke was the love of his life, and yet he'd never seen him away from the house. Luke seemed to be content with this.

"Ash, remember when you said you would never leave me?" Luke said one afternoon, as the sun was setting.

"Of course."

"I need to show you something." Luke stood up from the blanket and stood in front of him, taking a deep breath.

"Promise me you won't be mad."

Ashton was starting to get scared now, but he agreed anyway.

"Promise."

Luke nodded, and squeezed his eyes shut. And just like that, he began to fade. Not metaphorically, he literally began to become see-through, and eventually disappeared. Ashton was frozen in place, and he tried to speak but his voice caught in his throat. Luke was nowhere to be seen, and yet he hadn't moved from in front of him.

"Please don't leave me." he heard his voice whisper, and a sickening chill went through his spine.

"I..." he trailed off, unable to find any words.

As quick as he vanished, Luke reappeared, cheeks tearstained.

"I'm so sorry, I should have told you what you were getting into, but I liked you so much and I didn't want to scare you away."

Ashton didn't say a word, he couldn't, so Luke continued.

"I saw you, when you first found the place, you know. I was going to scare you off or something, like I do with everyone else. But you were so beautiful, Ashton. And, I don't know. I loved to watch you draw and you're so pretty in the sunlight. And then you saw me, when I accidentally became visible."

Ashton took his time in composing his words, being cautious of hurting the other boy.

"So...what are you?"

Yeah, it wasn't his finest moment. Luke's eyes dropped to the ground in shame.

"Dead. I think."

"..."

"..."

"I'm in love with a dead guy."

Luke let out a teary giggle. "I know, I'm so sorry."

"Do you know how you.." Ashton trailed off, realising that it probably wasn't the most sensitive topic.

"No. But I think this was my house. It still is, I guess."

"Well, that would explain your clothes. Very 90s."

"You think?" I can't really remember when or how, I just know where."

Ashton took his hand and pressed a kiss to it.

"Don't worry. We'll figure it out."

 

Several weeks later, on a dreary Wednesday evening, Ashton and Luke made love.  
It was still in the old house, (Ashton realised that it was because Luke couldn't leave.) and although it wasn't the most romantic place to lose his virginity, he brought a large, soft duvet instead of the old blanket, and his iPod, because he figured that a bit of Fall Out Boy would help distract from the dingy setting.

As it turned out, he didn't really need Fall Out Boy, because Luke was real, and there, and warm to the touch. And the faces and noises he made on the brink of an orgasm were like heaven.  
Afterwards, when they were lying together whispering soft 'I love you's to each other, it hit Ashton, that he was going to be graduating soon.

He was getting older, while Luke would remain seventeen forever, Ashton would be leaving school, getting a job, moving out, and leaving his boyfriend behind.  
The thought of telling this to the boy made his stomach churn, and he fell into an uneasy sleep.

 

"Luke," he said one day, as they sat on the marble kitchen counter together, "do you ever wonder why you're still here?"

The seventeen year old (as Ashton had found out a while ago) cocked his head and furrowed his brows in deep concentration.

"A little bit, but I could never think of anything. Why?"

"It's just that... shouldn't you have, I don't know.. moved on, or something, by now?"

Luke's face dropped into a scowl, but his eyes immediately softened and his bottom lip began to quiver.

"Oh no, please don't cry, I didn't-"

"-Are you sick of me already?" a tear rolled down his cheek, and he began to disappear. It was something he did a lot, either because he wasn't concentrating hard enough or just to piss him off."

"Lukey please, it was just a question. I didn't mean it. Please come back, I love you so much."

Dealing with Luke was sometimes dealing with a clingy child. He understood completely, though. He was the only person to visit him in decades, fuck he was probably the first one to tell him he loved him in, what, twenty years?  
He couldn't blame him for getting too attached and not being able to handle his feelings.  
Sure enough, as soon as he said the words, Luke began to appear again, sniffing and rubbing his eyes.

"Why?" he said. "You get absolutely nothing out of this. I'm just holding you back and cutting you off from other people."  
Ashton hopped off of the counter and went to his side.

"I get you, don't I? That's enough for me, Lukey."

 

It was a week until graduation and Ashton had to tell him.

"I'm finishing school soon." he blurted, looking up from his drawing of the details of an ugly curtain.  
Luke also looked up, but didn't say anything.

"I'm doing an art course in the Fall, so I don't know if I'll be around as much."

"Don't lie." Luke snapped, a bitter tone laced through his voice. "You know you won't be around."

"Hey, why do you have to be so touchy?" Ashton fought back, for once. "Why can't you just be happy for me, this once? I'm going to do something I love."

"Because!" Luke hopped up, fists clenched tight. "You said you would never leave me!"

"Oh what, did you think I was going to spend the rest of my life in this goddamn house?" Ashton spat out, although he knew that he should stop, probably.

"Oh, maybe I should renovate it, and then live here and not see another fucking human until I die and then we can be together forever!"

Luke was crying now, face crimson red and letting out ugly sobs.

"Fuck you! I thought you loved me." he choked out, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Luke I-" he began in a softer tone, what he had said finally hitting him hard.

"Please don't." he taller boy said, stepping back a little and wincing. "You've made your intentions quite clear."

And then he ran, past the one standing wall, and the plastered covered paintings, and straight up the stairs.

"Luke, we need to talk about this!" Ashton called, also walking towards the dangerous looking stairs

He grabbed the banister and slowly began climbing it, step by creaky step.  
Of all the months he had spent there, he had never once been upstairs, mostly because every time he had mentioned it, Luke had warned him not to go up, because the floor was unstable.  
Of course, Luke, with his goddamn ghost legs could walk on it fine.

Well, fuck Luke.

He climbed it steadily, and as soon as the stairs twisted, and the hall was out of sight, he realised that the stairs still went on for a story or two. He had never realised that the house was this tall.  
He took the final step, and reached the landing.  
It was even worse than downstairs, all of the furniture rotted and foul-smelling, wooden floor waterlogged by rain seeping the leaking roof.

He continued towards a decomposing white door, with the word 'Luke' branded in duct tape on it. When he pushed the door open, as he had guessed, there was a bedroom.  
It wasn't as badly damaged as the rest of the house, but still pretty bad.  
He could make out what used to be posters on the wall, of punk bands from the 90s. Pinned amongst them, shiny and new compared to the rest of the pictures, was the drawing of Luke that Ashton remembered sketching on one if the first days they had met. It made his heart lurch how the younger (or rather older) boy had kept it for so long.

"Luke please, talk to me." he said quietly, and sure enough, the blonde boy appeared in front of him, horrified look on his face.

The horror immediately switched to a bitter expression.

"What are you doing, you can't be up here?"

 "Well I am." Ashton gestured to himself, to point out that yes, he was in the room.

"Leave. Now. It's not safe." he ordered, and Ashton laughed spitefully.

"What makes you think you can tell me what to do?"

"It's _my_ room." Luke scowled.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean those things. You know I love you more than anything, Lukey."

Luke's face immediately softened, and he looked as though he was contemplating stepping towards Ashton, but then decided against it.

"Well I can't love you. You're only going to break my heart. We both know that."

A sick feeling churned in Ashton's stomach as he took a step towards the boy and a plank creaked beneath him.

"Stop doing that!" Luke yelled, motioning frantically for him to stop moving.

Ashton didn't really listen.

"Please, hear me out, Luke. When I said I loved you I meant it. If I know one thing it's my feelings for you, and I don't think they can change no matter what stupid college I go to."

Luke was waving frantically and yelling at him to stop taking steps as the floor creaked more and more beneath him, but he could hardly hear anything over his heart beating in his ears.

"Please, just-"

And the floor gave way.

They say your life flashes before your eyes right before you die. Well, that's fucking bullshit. All Ashton could see was what was happening around him, practically in slow motion; Luke screaming out in terror, the bits of plank that fell with him, sprinkling everywhere like brown snow, the kitchen below, and the marble counter that he was just about to hit his head off with a sickening crack.

And then he was sitting right next to himself, hand clamped over his mouth in a catatonic state.

"Oh god. Oh god, Ash, oh fuck, I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm.."  
Luke was wailing beside him, blaming himself for what had happened.

But Ashton wasn't really that stricken with grief.  
He felt sort of empty, but he felt no despair.  
He stood up from beside where his head wouldn't stop bleeding and where his heart had stopped beating.

"Luke. It's okay, it wasn't your fault."

"It is, and I'm so sorry, I was the reason you were upstairs- fuck I'm the reason you were even in the house, oh my god I fucked up so bad, I'm sorry-" he wailed in response, hand covering his mouth, muffling most of his words.

"Hey hey hey, it's alright." he brought his hands to cup the boys face, calming him down a little.

"I forgive you."

He pressed a long kiss to the boys lips.

"We should probably start redecorating or something. It looks like we're gonna be here for a while."

**Author's Note:**

> This is the most twisted, fucked up thing I have ever written, I think. At least there's a happy ending idk. Also, I know luke is so clingy is uncomfortable but I kind of felt like thats the way he would be if someone finally payed attention to him after all those years. Also, he cries a lot, so theres that.


End file.
